Wednesday, November 7, 2012

There's a theme running through editorials from N.C. newspapers about former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory's win as N.C. governor Tuesday night, the first Republican to hold the office in 20 years and the first Charlotte resident in 92: Huge challenges await him, his leadership ability will be sorely tested, and bipartisanship and centrist governing should be his calling card. We said the same things in our editorial, "Pat McCrory takes historic win." We hope the state's chief executive-elect takes to heart these sentiments, avoids blind adherence to hard-right party stands and truly works on behalf of all N.C. residents.

Pat McCrory started fast and never looked back in his second race for governor. That should be his formula for governing...

During his seven terms as mayor, Charlotte launched a light-rail system, developed an appealing “uptown” environment and raised its national profile to the point where it could be selected to host a national convention. McCrory set partisanship aside in the city’s best interests.

Now, when his party will control all of state government except some Council of State offices, McCrory should take the same approach. He wasn’t elected to follow the legislature’s plunge to the right but to find pragmatic solutions that can win bipartisan support....

McCrory won’t succeed in the long run by ignoring the interests and concerns of nearly half the electorate. Nor should he let Republican legislators, although they have a two-year head start in power, dictate an overly conservative agenda.That would not have worked for McCrory in Charlotte, and it won’t work in governing North Carolina.

McCrory now faces the challenge of governing not just a big, bustling, business-oriented city, but a state with fading rural roots, medium-sized struggling cities and towns, hamlets and crossroads communities. (And of course, metropolitan areas such as Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh.)

The one-party control of the General Assembly and the governorship will be interesting. It’s true that Democrats were in that position for most of the 20th century, so it’s not as if this is particularly shocking or unique. But GOP leaders in the legislature have stumbled at times, in part due to inexperience and also because of philosophical difference in their own party.

Will Republican lawmakers, with an ally as governor, now bring forth a series of favored measures such as the voter ID bill vetoed by [Gov. Bev] Perdue? Will there be a further push for vouchers for people to use public money to send their children to private schools? Issues of this sort tend to be highly divisive. If they become central to the GOP agenda it will not make it easier for McCrory to do the governor’s job of trying to bring the state together.

It’s in McCrory’s interest to try to avoid that division. Clearly, he brought people together to support his bid for the state’s highest elected office, and he says he intends to be inclusive. Now, he must reach out to 9 million constituents to show he will serve them all.

McCrory ran a sensible campaign that convinced North Carolinians he could represent the entire state and not just its biggest city...

McCrory got a congratulatory note from [Bev] Perdue last night. “I offered him my full assistance in his transition to our state’s highest office,” Perdue wrote. “Tonight, I ask all North Carolinians to come together, put the acrimony behind us, and work with Governor-elect McCrory to move North Carolina forward,” she said.

We agree. It is time to work together. That’s something we think McCrory can facilitate. We cannot attain progress by fighting with each other...

Here's what Republicans MUST NOT do... they must not look at this and decide Romney wasn't conservative enough. That would simply ensure another loss.

Republicans lost two Senate seats because the Tea Party candidates couldn't keep their heads out of their backsides on rape & pregnancy. That was neither values or principal, it was just plain stupidity!

Romney started at a deficit because he had to move far right to win the primary and couldn't move far enough moderate to win as many independents, women and latinos as he needed to for the win.

You can't just ignore those demographics... at least not unless you want to be irrelevent.

Romney was the better candidate. He had ideas... Obama had attack ads. He had a record of being able to cross the aisle and work with Democrats... Obama has repeatedly refused to do so. He had a record of creating jobs, Obama has a record of creating excuses.

In the end, it didn't matter because Obama and the media managed to misrepresent much of Romney's beliefs, record and agenda... while consistently ignoring Obama's.

We need to declare war on the major media by identifying and boycotting the corporations who sponsor CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and MSNBC News until they return to being watch dogs, instead of partisan attack dogs!

The tide is turning, it may be slow, but it is. 3/5ths of the states now have Republican Governors. NC now has a Republican Governor, House and State Senate. Now, we have to use them wisely for the benefit of all and THAT will turn the tide.

Bubble people, i.e. Republicans...your time is over...the only place you can win politically is local elections, and that is because all of you tend to flock and live together with people who look, think and act like you do....so just continue to live in your bubbles, in denial and listening only to Limbaugh and Faux News watching as the world passes you by....your arrogance and ignorance will destroy you. BTW, it is foolish for you to say that only Obama had attack ads,....both candidates had attack ads, that was the tone of the entire Presidential race and no President in history has been attacked both Personally and Professionally than President Obama, but you can't see that because you wear blinders and you live in a bubble. I'm so happy that I don't share your thoughts and grow up with ignorance and hatred for diversity within humanity.

Hey Jeyone, do you even know what the black unemployment rate speaking of living in a morally bankrupt bubble? Or does that matter to you? That's rhetorical, google the definition of the word if you have to. You party has been dumbed down to the point that a sitting President can make the last election not about 6 trillion in new debt, real unemployment closer to 11%, hundreds of broken promises and lies and turn into a referendum on Big Bird and contraceptives. Thank you for proving just how clueless the left has become, you are a shining star.

Running ads against Romeny calling him a felon, calling him a murderer and tax dodger and the exit polls showed many people blaming Bush for the economy 4 years later.. He have produced a generation of mind numbing stupidity that just doubled down on 4 more years of Marxism.

And memo to the CO, you endorsed the far left ideologue of con man ever to reside in the White House that is on record telling his mindless voters to vote out of revenge, telling latino voters to vote against their enemies, who told the Repubs they can some along but will need to ride in the back of the bus, stated they he would bring a gun to a knife fight and at his very base of everything he does sits Sal Alinsky..

"The people decided, through their votes, to tell the GOP their tired, antiquated, neanderthal ideology has no place in an enlightened, modern society. The Democrats must act on the mandate from the people and bring us out of the Dark Ages."

CO editorial after a Republican super-majority is established:

"The Republicans had better watch their backs. They may have more people in charge now, but by God, they had better not implement anything we liberals disagree with. If they dare do so, you can be guaranteed every single one of the GOP legislators will be on the street in 2 years, and the governor will join them 2 years later. Having many more Repoblicans were elected is not a license to implement their agenda. Ours is still better, no matter what the voters say, and they had best get to work implementing anything the minority demands."

Whatever happened to: elections have consequences? How come the Democrats don't have to work with the governor? How come the president and the Senate don't have to remember the half of the Americans who voted against them? What about them not pushing their far Left ideas? Aren't you guys a little one-sided in your thinking?

About this blog

The Observer's editorial board cares deeply about Charlotte and the Carolinas, and has a problem with public officials who have forgotten that they report to citizens. Editorial page editor Taylor Batten and associate editors Peter St. Onge and Eric Frazier tackle politics and public policy issues locally, across the state and nation. Kevin Siers tackles those issues too in cartoons. Read their columns and biographical information on the CharlotteObserver.com Opinion page.